Dengue cases reach 25 in Ludhiana district

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, July 2

The rainy season has begun and with it the threat of water-borne diseases looms large. Hundred breeding checkers of the Health Department will be on the job in the district, checking breeding of mosquitoes.

Till now, 25 dengue cases have been reported in the district. Of the 25 cases, 12 are from urban and 13 from rural areas. This year, two cases were reported in March, one in April, 13 in May and nine in June.

Symptoms

Symptoms of dengue include high fever, severe headaches, joint and muscle pain, vomiting, skin rash and mild bleeding.

Precautions

• Mosquito repellent and creams should be used.
• Anti-mosquito spray should be used daily, especially behind curtains and under tables.
• Water from pots kept in drawing rooms should be changed on a weekly basis.
• Don’t keep uncovered utensil, pots, tyres, etc, on rooftop or in the open.
• Don’t allow water to get accumulated near houses.

The Health Department has already started a survey of hotspots and an awareness drive had also been started in these areas.

“The anti-larvae team of the department is working actively to check mosquito breeding. Hundred breeding checkers have been appointed and will be working from this month to check breeding of mosquitoes. They will be doing door-to-door surveys and destroying larvae wherever it is found,” said District Epidemiologist Sheetal Narang.

A dengue ward had been set up at the Civil Hospital and private hospitals also had been alerted to be ready with arrangements, said Dr Narang.

The Health Department has urged city residents to keep their surroundings clean and do not let water get stagnant in and around houses.

Patients can get the test for detecting dengue at the Civil Hospital, sub-divisional hospital, Khanna, and Jagraon Civil Hospital free of cost.

Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected female aedes mosquito. There are four distinct serotypes of the dengue virus. Symptoms appear in three to 14 days (average four-seven days) after the infective bite. Dengue fever is a flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults. Last year 1,298 cases of dengue were reported from Ludhiana district.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney today called for concerted efforts from the MC, Health, Rural Development and Panchayats departments to launch a major campaign to control the spread of vector-borne diseases in the district.

During a meeting held at Bachat Bhawan, the DC emphasised the need to identify and take action against places that were susceptible to mosquito breeding.

She urged the Health and MC authorities to conduct door-to-door surveys and issue fines for any instances of mosquito larvae found in water storage containers such as air coolers and other waste items in houses. She also asked the civic body to conduct water sampling in Giaspura and nearby localities near Sahnewal.